Monument record MDO1527 - Medieval and post medieval field system, Long Bredy

On a flat topped knoll about 250 yds. WSW of the church are lynchets which follow the contours on the SE slope; and small possibly later ecnlosures of the top of the knoll.

1/4 mile SSW of the church are four slight scarps, which probably formed part of a cultivation system. <1>

There are four distinct areas in which field systems occur.

A. [Centred at SY 56709048 JWS] At the top of the knoll are enclosure banks forming large rectangular fields. These appear to be of modern date by comparison with the other systems.

B. [Centred at SY 56839043 JWS] A series of roughly NS terraces of Md. type with two small fields in the N part of the area, probably contemporary. The terraces are from 3.0m t 6.0m wide.

C. [Centred at SY 5682 9017 JWS] Regularly spaced N-S strip lynchets, but these have been rounded by later ploughing, and are not pronounced, but are of Md. type.

D. [Centred at SY 5693 9010 JWS] Four pronounced regularly spaced Md. strip lynchets, set in a NW-SE direction.

All the above areas are under grass. <2>

E. [SY 5694 9065 JWS] A series of NS terraces of Md. type. <3>

A field system comprising medieval strip lynchets and enclosed fields and cultivation marks of medieval or later origin. The features lie on a hill to the west of Long Bredy and are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. {2-4}

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 43 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(20) LYNCHETS AND ENCLOSURES on a flat-topped knoll about 1/8m. W.S.W. of the church; the lynchets follow the contours on the S.E. slope, the enclosures on the top are small and possibly of later date.'

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 29-APR-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Field Investigators Comments HC, F2 HC 04-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1260.

<4> 21-APR-2006, D0060482 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11109.

<5> 02-APR-1969, NMR OS/69053 006-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO11108.

<6> 07-AUG-1995, NMR SY 5690/4-5 (15346/54-5) (Aerial Photograph). SDO11107.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451045 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 4 2023 10:42AM